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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a document
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — to cut
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. file — a tool
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a line of people
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. clip — for paper
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com